#2 Hulk Hogan (1,474 days)
The start of the reign: The Iron Shiek’s reign with the WWE Championship didn’t last long – just 28 days in total – as Hulk Hogan defeated him at MSG in January 1984 to begin the longest title reign of his career.
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The end of the reign: Hogan retained his championship over a four-year spell against Superstars including King Kong Bundy, Paul Orndorff and Andre The Giant. However, he was unable to keep the title when he met Andre again at The Main Event I in February 1988, with referee Earl Hebner incorrectly ruling a 3-count pinfall after receiving a bribe from Ted DiBiase. Andre then handed the title to DiBiase but it was later vacated.
#1 Bruno Sammartino (2,803 days)
The start of the reign: Way before Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and the 1997 Montreal Screwjob, the first major screwjob in the wrestling business took place when Bruno Sammartino defeated Buddy Rogers at MSG in May 1963. Vince McMahon Sr. had promised Bruno a title reign but feared Rogers would fake an injury to postpone the match if he knew the outcome, so the freakishly strong Bruno lifted his opponent up in a backbreaker and ordered him to submit after just 48 seconds.
The end of the reign: Remember the sound of shocked silence that greeted the end of The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak in 2014? Well, Bruno has recalled that he genuinely thought his hearing was damaged when the crowd fell silent after his 2,803-day reign with the title was ended by Ivan Koloff at MSG in January 1971.
